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SENATE DEMOCRATS CELEBRATE ADVENT OF MARRIAGE EQUALITY

RICHMOND — In response to news this morning that the Supreme Court would not review lower courts’ rulings on several marriage equality cases — effectively enabling LGBT couples in Virginia to wed — Senate Democrats made the following statements:

Said Sen. Adam Ebbin (D - Alexandria), Virginia’s first openly gay senator (and one of only two openly gay members of the General Assembly), “Virginia is waking up from history. At long last, gay and lesbian couples will be able to marry. This victory was a long time in coming, and it might have been longer still if countless Virginians had not chosen to fight for equality and justice. I am proud of the work that they have done — and continue to do every day. We have made immense progress, but we have to keep going. In many parts of the country, marriage equality is still out of reach. Here in our Commonwealth, we still need to enact workplace and other non-discrimination protections. I look forward to continuing to fight for those laws.”

Said Sen. Jennifer Wexton (D – Loudoun), “Thanks to the Supreme Court's decision, we will finally have marriage equality here in Virginia. Today is a victory for justice, fairness, and common sense -- but there is more to do. LGBT Virginians still lack important protections that other citizens enjoy, and we need to ensure that they — and all Virginians, regardless of race, religion, gender, or any other trait — are treated as equals. We're headed in the right direction, but we must keep working until every Virginian is equal under our laws.”